Divorcees (Hansard, 23 March 1979)

§ Mr. Ridley
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is known about the typical financial circumstances of divorcees dependent on supplementary benefit.

§ Mr. Deakins
No information is available about the financial circumstances of male divorcees on supplementary benefit. 61,000 female divorcees without children were receiving supplementary benefit averaging £13.66 a week. Of these, 12,000 had maintenance payments payable under court orders averaging £4.26 a week, and another 1,000 other maintenance payments averaging £5.70 a week.760W 103,000 female divorcees with children were receiving supplementary benefit averaging £30.15 a week and their average total weekly income was £36.95. Of these, 62,000 had maintenance payments payable under court orders averaging £8.39 a week and another 1,300 other maintenance payments averaging £8.43 a week. 21,000 of the female divorcees with children had part-time earnings averaging £8.10 a week.

§ Mr. Ridley
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many one-parent families are headed by divorcees; and what proportion they form of all one-parent families.

§ Mr. Deakins
It is estimated that in 1976 there were 230,000 divorced lone mothers, equivalent to 35 per cent. of the total of 660,000 lone mothers with dependent children. No estimate is available of the number of divorced lone fathers, though the total number of lone fathers in 1976 is estimated to have been 90,000. A discussion of the difficulties of making regular and detailed estimates of the numbers and family characteristics of one-parent families in the years between censuses of the population, is contained in the September 1978 issue of"Population Trends."

§ Mr. Ridley
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is known about the duration of the dependence on supplementary benefit of divorcees and their families.

§ Mr. Deakins
No information is available about the financial circumstances of male divorcees on supplementary benefit. In November 1977, 103,000 women divorcees with children had been dependent on supplementary benefit for an average of 48 months. Of these 22,000 had so far been dependent for less than one year, 17,000 between one and two years, 33,000 between two and five years and 31,000 more than five years.

§ Mr. Ridley
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will estimate, for the latest available year and for 1970, 1974 and 1977 how many dependants of divorced claimants were covered by claims for supplementary benefit;
(2) if he will estimate, for the latest available year and for 1970, 1974 and 761W 1977, how much supplementary benefit was spent on divorced claimants and their dependants;
(3) if he will estimate, for the latest available year and for 1970, 1974 and 1977, how many divorcees are in receipt of supplementary benefit; and whether it is known in how many cases such

Female divorcees receiving supplementary benefit Dependent children of divorced women claimants Estimated annual gross cost^§ of supplementary benefit for female divorcees (£ million)

November 1970 … … … … 64,000 ^* 25

November 1971 … … … … — 93,000^† —

November 1974 … … … … 114,000 139,000 81

November 1977 … … … … 164,000^‡ 210,000^‡ 205

November 1978 … … … … ^* ^* ^*

^* Not available.

^† Earliest figure after 1970 which is available.

^‡ Not directly comparable with earlier years due to a change in the method of estimation.

^§ No allowance made for money recovered from local authorities in respect of rent or rate rebates or from persons liable to maintain the women concerned where such payments are received by the Department. Cost of exceptional needs payments excluded.

					Female divorcees receiving supplementary benefit	Dependent children of divorced women claimants	Estimated annual gross cost^§ of supplementary benefit for female divorcees (£ million)
November 1970	…	…	…	…	64,000	^*	25
November 1971	…	…	…	…	—	93,000^†	—
November 1974	…	…	…	…	114,000	139,000	81
November 1977	…	…	…	…	164,000^‡	210,000^‡	205
November 1978	…	…	…	…	^*	^*	^*
^* Not available.
^† Earliest figure after 1970 which is available.
^‡ Not directly comparable with earlier years due to a change in the method of estimation.
^§ No allowance made for money recovered from local authorities in respect of rent or rate rebates or from persons liable to maintain the women concerned where such payments are received by the Department. Cost of exceptional needs payments excluded.